Man met bolhoed, in profiel 1875 - 1934

This is ‘Man met bolhoed, in profiel’, or ‘Man with bowler hat, in profile’, by Isaac Israels. It’s rendered in pencil on paper, with quick lines and gestures. The artist is using a very simple and commonplace material, available to almost anyone. Israels was a Dutch painter known for his impressionistic style. He employed the pencil and paper as a tool to quickly capture fleeting moments and the essence of everyday life. In the work, the artist uses hatching and shading to model the form of the man's face and hat. The material of pencil on paper lends itself to quick, spontaneous sketches. The bowler hat in the drawing speaks volumes about the sitter’s social context. It was an iconic symbol of the bourgeoisie and middle class. Through the simplicity of materials, and attention to such details, the work becomes a record of a particular class and moment in time. This work shows how even the most commonplace material, combined with keen observation, can offer insight into the social fabric.